Neo
08-15-2006, 04:17 PM
http://img284.imageshack.us/img284/6944/233399148201vo5.th.jpg (http://img284.imageshack.us/my.php?image=233399148201vo5.jpg)Despite crash course, freshman QB rises to No. 2
By: Joseph Person
www.thestate.com
During the 7-on-7 portion of USC’s Monday morning practice, quarterback Chris Smelley dropped back in the pocket and lofted a pass to a streaking Sidney Rice, who caught the ball along the sideline without breaking stride.
More than a week into his first college camp, Smelley is passing all the tests during his crash course on running an SEC offense.
Fresh from his head-turning performance in the Gamecocks’ first scrimmage, Smelley spent Monday directing the second team. While USC coach Steve Spurrier has not wavered in stating that Blake Mitchell is the Gamecocks’ clear-cut starter, he appears to have a bona-fide backup in Smelley.
When the Gamecocks signed Smelley in February out of Tuscaloosa, Ala., critics questioned whether his four state passing records were the product of playing in Alabama’s smallest school classification. Others wondered how quickly Smelley could pick up Spurrier’s Cock ’n’ Fire offense.
The early results have been encouraging.
“I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with it already,” Smelley said recently. “I’m on a pretty good pace learning it and getting pretty close to where I need to be.”
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound Smelley is not a typical freshman. The right-hander will turn 20 in September (his late birthday helped persuade his parents to home-school him for a year before he started junior high).
Smelley started four games as a 140-pound, seventh-grader at American Christian Academy. By the time he graduated six years later, Smelley had compiled a 59-12 record as a starter and thrown 134 career touchdown passes to break the mark held by former Alabama star Brodie Croyle.
But those accolades did not keep Spurrier from changing Smelley’s throwing mechanics the first day Smelley stepped on the Gamecocks’ practice field. Spurrier encouraged Smelley to hold the ball higher for a quicker release.
“I was kind of expecting that a little bit,” Smelley said. “(Spurrier) kind of told me there were a few things he was wanting to tweak with me.”
As for his mental preparation, Smelley learned a few of the Gamecocks’ basic plays shortly after signing day. But USC waited until Smelley arrived on campus in July before giving him the entire playbook.
“I don’t think they really wanted to send too much information to Tuscaloosa, Alabama,” joked Bart Smelley, Chris’ father.
Smelley has asked for tips from assistant quarterbacks coach David Reaves and older quarterbacks Mitchell and Brett Nichols.
“I’m still trying to make sure I’ve got the system down as good as I can,” he said. “Then it’s just doing the little things like footwork, looking the right ways, getting as comfortable as I can doing the small things correctly.”
Despite completing 10 of 17 passes for a team-high 173 yards and three touchdowns during Saturday’s scrimmage, Smelley found a few flaws. He told reporters he had missed a couple of reads and misfired on some passes.
Still, his showing in front of an estimated 4,500 fans at Williams-Brice Stadium vaulted him past redshirt freshman Cade Thompson on the depth chart. If Smelley maintains the No. 2 position, he likely can hang up his redshirt.
“That’s really up to whatever the coaches are thinking,” he said. “What I’m trying to do out here is work 100 percent and see how it goes.”
Things have gone well so far for Smelley, who has not had the slightest case of homesickness since leaving Crimson Tide country.
“As parents we had a little bit of fear that he’d get up there and have some second thoughts or this isn’t what he thought it would be like,” Bart Smelley said. “But it has been the total opposite. He absolutely loves everything about it.”
While the campus will not begin filling up until classes start next week, Smelley confirmed that he is enjoying Columbia.
“It’s been everything I dreamed it would be,” he said.
And it’s only just begun.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/colleges/university_of_south_carolina/15275456.htm
By: Joseph Person
www.thestate.com
During the 7-on-7 portion of USC’s Monday morning practice, quarterback Chris Smelley dropped back in the pocket and lofted a pass to a streaking Sidney Rice, who caught the ball along the sideline without breaking stride.
More than a week into his first college camp, Smelley is passing all the tests during his crash course on running an SEC offense.
Fresh from his head-turning performance in the Gamecocks’ first scrimmage, Smelley spent Monday directing the second team. While USC coach Steve Spurrier has not wavered in stating that Blake Mitchell is the Gamecocks’ clear-cut starter, he appears to have a bona-fide backup in Smelley.
When the Gamecocks signed Smelley in February out of Tuscaloosa, Ala., critics questioned whether his four state passing records were the product of playing in Alabama’s smallest school classification. Others wondered how quickly Smelley could pick up Spurrier’s Cock ’n’ Fire offense.
The early results have been encouraging.
“I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with it already,” Smelley said recently. “I’m on a pretty good pace learning it and getting pretty close to where I need to be.”
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound Smelley is not a typical freshman. The right-hander will turn 20 in September (his late birthday helped persuade his parents to home-school him for a year before he started junior high).
Smelley started four games as a 140-pound, seventh-grader at American Christian Academy. By the time he graduated six years later, Smelley had compiled a 59-12 record as a starter and thrown 134 career touchdown passes to break the mark held by former Alabama star Brodie Croyle.
But those accolades did not keep Spurrier from changing Smelley’s throwing mechanics the first day Smelley stepped on the Gamecocks’ practice field. Spurrier encouraged Smelley to hold the ball higher for a quicker release.
“I was kind of expecting that a little bit,” Smelley said. “(Spurrier) kind of told me there were a few things he was wanting to tweak with me.”
As for his mental preparation, Smelley learned a few of the Gamecocks’ basic plays shortly after signing day. But USC waited until Smelley arrived on campus in July before giving him the entire playbook.
“I don’t think they really wanted to send too much information to Tuscaloosa, Alabama,” joked Bart Smelley, Chris’ father.
Smelley has asked for tips from assistant quarterbacks coach David Reaves and older quarterbacks Mitchell and Brett Nichols.
“I’m still trying to make sure I’ve got the system down as good as I can,” he said. “Then it’s just doing the little things like footwork, looking the right ways, getting as comfortable as I can doing the small things correctly.”
Despite completing 10 of 17 passes for a team-high 173 yards and three touchdowns during Saturday’s scrimmage, Smelley found a few flaws. He told reporters he had missed a couple of reads and misfired on some passes.
Still, his showing in front of an estimated 4,500 fans at Williams-Brice Stadium vaulted him past redshirt freshman Cade Thompson on the depth chart. If Smelley maintains the No. 2 position, he likely can hang up his redshirt.
“That’s really up to whatever the coaches are thinking,” he said. “What I’m trying to do out here is work 100 percent and see how it goes.”
Things have gone well so far for Smelley, who has not had the slightest case of homesickness since leaving Crimson Tide country.
“As parents we had a little bit of fear that he’d get up there and have some second thoughts or this isn’t what he thought it would be like,” Bart Smelley said. “But it has been the total opposite. He absolutely loves everything about it.”
While the campus will not begin filling up until classes start next week, Smelley confirmed that he is enjoying Columbia.
“It’s been everything I dreamed it would be,” he said.
And it’s only just begun.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/colleges/university_of_south_carolina/15275456.htm